Abraham Ancer wins LIV Golf Hong Kong, beating Paul Casey and Cameron Smith in a play-off; Casey shoots final-round 64 to match Smith and Ancer on 13 under after latter sees five-shot lead wiped out; Joaquin Niemann fires hole-in-one but falls short of back-to-back titles
Sunday 10 March 2024 12:06, UK
Paul Casey's bid for a first LIV Golf title and Cameron Smith's pursuit of a fourth were ended by Abraham Ancer as the Mexican won a three-way play-off in Hong Kong.
Ancer held a five-shot lead going into Sunday's final round but a two-over 72 dropped him back to 13 under for the tournament alongside Englishman Casey and Australian Smith.
The trio then headed back to the 18th hole at Fanling amid heavy rain, where Ancer shot birdie after a terrific approach to the green to claim his maiden LIV Golf trophy as Casey and Smith bogeyed.
Ancer said: "I made that so hard on myself. The ball striking wasn't there but mentally I was really strong so I felt really good. I felt like I was not going to give up.
"That round could have gone south really quickly. I hit some good bunker shots, some good putts that I needed to just to get myself in it. I then hit the right shot at the right time in the play-off."
Casey carded six birdies in a blemish-free 64, including when he chipped in from a greenside bunker on his final hole, while Smith shot a four-under 66 with two gains on each nine.
Smith had previously won LIV events in Chicago in 2022 and then London and New Jersey last year but is yet to triumph this term.
Joaquin Niemann was victorious in the season opener in Mexico and then in Saudi Arabia last week, with Dustin Johnson winning in Las Vegas and now Ancer in Hong Kong.
Niemann finished one shot behind the leaders in Hong Kong on 12 under, with his seven-under 63 - which included a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth - just short of lifting him into the play-off.
The Chilean racked up seven birdies in addition to that aced eagle but two bogeys proved damaging as he missed out on back-to-back titles and a third in four events.
The LIV season returns in Miami from April 5-7.
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